Historically the commercial caipital o Japan, Osaka functions as ane o the command centers for the Japanese economy. The ratio atween daytime an nicht time population is 141%, the heichest in Japan, hiehlichtin its status as an economic center. Its nichttime population is 2.6 million, the third in the kintra, but in daytime the population surges tae 3.7 million, seicont anerlie efter Tokyo. Osaka haes traditionally been referred tae as the "naition's kitchen" (天下の台所,tenka no daidokoro?), or the Mecca o gourmet fuid.

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"Osaka" leeterally means "lairge hill" or "lairge slope." It is unclear when this name gained prominence ower Naniwa, but the auldest uisage o the name dates back tae a 1496 text. Osaka, nou written 大阪, wis umwhile written uisin a different seicont kanji as 大坂 prior tae 1870. At the time, the pairtisans for the Meiji Restoration wished tae avoid the seicont kanji being implicitly read as "士反," meanin samurai rebellion. The auld writin is still in vera limitit uise tae emphasize history, but the seicont kanji 阪 is nou universally considered referrin tae Osaka ceety an prefectur anerlie, tae distinguish it frae homonyms in ither Japanese prefecturs.

Central Osaka is aften dividit intae twa auries referred tae as Kita (キタ, lit. north) an Minami (ミナミ, lit. sooth), at either end o the major thoroughfare Midōsuji.[1] Kita is roughly the aurie surroondin the business an retail destrict o Umeda. Minami is hame tae the Namba, Shinsaibashi, an Dōtonbori shoppin destricts. The entertainment destrict aroond Dōtonbori Brig wi its famous giant mechanical crab, Triangle Park, an Amerikamura ("Americae Veelage") is in Minami. In Yodoyabashi an Honmachi, atween Kita an Minami, is the traditional business aurie whaur courts an naitional/regional heidquarters o major banks are locatit. The newer business aurie is in the Osaka Business Pairk locatit nearbi Osaka Castle. Business destricts hae an aa formed aroond the seicontary rail termini, such as Tennoji Station an Kyobashi Station.

“The 808 brigs o Naniwa” wis an expression in auld Japan for awe an wonder, an adage kent athort the land. “808” wis a lairge number which seembolized the idea o “uncountable”. In the Edo period there wur anerlie aboot 200 bridges. Syne Osaka is crossed bi a number o rivers an canals, mony brigs wur built wi specific names, an the auries surroondin the brigs wur aften referred tae bi the names o the brigs, too. Some o the waterways, such as the Nagahori canal, hae been filled in, while ithers still remain.[2] In 1925 there wur actually 1629 brigs in Osaka but wi the fillin in o canals an rivers, as of Aprile 2003, the number haes dropped tae 872, 760 o which are currently managed bi Osaka Ceety.[3]